Steerable drive-gearing.



W. SCHNECKLOTH. STEERABLE DRIVE GEAHING.

APPLxcATloN FILED MAY 29. 1914.

Lgh Patented June 22, 1915.l

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. SCHNECKLOTH.

STEERABLE'DRIVE GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I9I4.

LI-m Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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p srnniannnn DRIVE-.eenmaaintatti.

Application ieaviaay a9, 1914..y seriai No. 841,771.

To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that l, WILLIAM SCHNECK- Lern, a citizen of the United States, and a `resident of the city of Chicago,.county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented lcertain new and useful Improvements in Steerable Drive-Gearing, of whichithe following is a specification.

My invention relates to steerable Adrive gearing that is gearing designed for use in connection with automobiles or other ve- -hicles so Ias topcrniit of steering oscillation 'of a wheel and at the same time driving of the wheel in the propulsion ofthe vehicle.

rlhe object of this invention is the production of gearing characterized as above mentioned which will be of durable and eco nomical construction and.' efficient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. 'With these objects in view my invention consists lin. .the A combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by refei'ence to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which-'- Figure l is a top plan view, partly in section, of a steerable drive gearing embodying my invention, `Fig. 2 is a section taken ,on line .Q1-:1; of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a eentral vertical longitudinal section of the gearing.-

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises a-spporting member 1 which,` when in use, is stationary, the same being rigidly secured in position by means of tie or brace rods which engage with perforated lugs 2 provided at the respective ends of said member. A vehicle spring 3 is shown arranged in operative proximity with the number 1. Rotatably mounted in the supporting member l is a driving shaft 4 the inner end of which, when the device is in use, being connected with the motor or other source of power with which the vehicle is equipped. Provided in the supporting member 1 is a conventional roller bearing 5 which is employed for the obvious purpose of reducing friction. Provided at the upper and lower ends of the member 1 are outwardly projecting vertically alining lugs 6.1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten aaneen, isis.

Coperating with the ysupporting member l is a steering knuckle 7 in which 1s arranged a driven `shaft 8 which is mounted in an antifriction roller bearing 9 ,provided in of steering knuckle 7 is a wheel hub 1Q, rollerbearings 11 and 12 'of conventional design .being interposed between.' said knuckle and hub to alleviate friction.

said knuckle. Arranged upon the outer end The rollerf` bearing 1l .is 'held in opera-.tive position by means of nuts 1:3 threaded upon the outer end of knuckle 7. The outer end of hub 1 0 is lixed to the corresponding end of shaft 8. by means of a circular key lst which is provided centrally with a square perforation snugly engaging over the correspondingly formed portion l5 of said shaft. VThe key 1 4 is provided at its periphery with spaced outwardlyprojecting lugs or ears 17 which engage in correspondingly,spaced slots 18 provided in the adjacent end of hub 10. A nut 16 athreadedupon the outer end of shaft 8 serves to lock the key :14- in position. With this arrangement it will be seen that the f shaft 8 and the hub 10 will be rigidly connected together so that when the former is rotated, corresponding movement will be simultaneously imparted to the latter. A cap nut `19 is threaded upon the outerend of hub 10 to protect the parts which the same .incloses The lugs 6 of the supporting member 1 are connected with the rearward end of steering knuckle 7 by means of tubular trunnions 20 rotatably mounted in said lugs, the inner ends of said trunnions being threaded into spaced lugs 21 provided at the inner end of said knuckle adjacent the inner sides ofsaid lugs 6. The outer ends of trunnions 20 are formed with outwardly projecting annular iianges 20 for engagement againstf the outer sides of lugs 6. Bushings 22 are interposed between said trunnions and lugs to take up wear and thrust .Washers 23 are einployed as shown. The trunnions 2O at the opposite ends of supporting member 1 are connected by` a tie bolt 24 the respective ends of which engage with heads 2 5 and 25 arranged at the outer ends of said trunnions, said heads fitting within said ends of said' trunnions and also engaging over the outer sides thereof as shown.

With the arrangement set forth it will be seen that the steering knuckle 7 is soconlby. when the load is applied to the stationary member 1' the lugs 6 will equally divide the burden so that neither will receive or be subjected to a strain greater than the other. The bushings and thrust Washers are so arranged that in case of wear lthe .same

may be readily removed andrenewed.

p The adjacent ends of shafts 4 and 8 are operatively connected by means of bevel gears 26 and 27 provided respectively upon saidA ends of said shafts, said gears-26 and 27 meshing with bevel gears 28 and 29 respectively fixed to the respective end portions of a tubular shaft 30 mounted in roller bearjf ings 3l which are threadedv in the trunnions i 20, said shaft 30 being so positioned that the-axis thereof is coincident with the axis of oscillation I'of steering knuckle 7 With this larrangement it will be 'seen that an operative connection between'driving shaft t and driven shaft Sis effected which permits of horizontal or steering oscillation of said driven shaft without affecting the connection thereof-With said driving shaft. By mounting the respective ends olf-the [shaft-30 as shown and described` the tremendous side or radial thrust'of said shaft which results under the stress of a heavy load, will be takenup by the bearing 3l, this arrangement eliminating one of the chief objections to gearings of this character where a tubular shaft or sleeve corresponding with the shaft 30 is employed which is comparatively short or which has bearing only at one end. By threading the bearings 31' in the trunnions 20, the former, in case of wear, may be readily adjusted to take up such-wear.v

Provided at the lower end of the steering knuckle 7 projecting rearwardly from the lower lug 2i. thereof is a steering arm 32.

This arm.l when the device is in use, is conneeted with the usual spring rods or other mechanism whereby the steering knuckle is manipulated.

While l have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the inven tion. l, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth` but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications asvcome Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I `said shafts permitting of steering oscillation of said driven shaft, said connection comprising a vertically disposed tubular shaft arranged with its axis coincident with the axis of oscillation of said steering knuckle; bearings for the respective ends of said vertically disposed shaft in said trunnions; an operative connection between said vertically disposed shaft and said adjacent ends of said driving and driven shafts; and

'a tie member extending through said vertically extending shaft and connected at its ends with said trunnions, substantially as described.

VQuin a steerable drive gearing, the combination of a stationary supporting member having spacedy vertically alining lugs; tu-

bular trunnions arranged in said lugs; a steering knuckle Ahaving spaced vertically alining lugs at its inner end connected with said trunnions whereby steering oscillation of said knuckle is permitted; a driving shaft rotatably mounted in said supporting mem ber; a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said steering knuckle; an operative connection between adjacent ends of said shafts permitting of steering oscillation of said driven shaft, said connection comprising a vertically disposed tubular shaft arranged with its axis coincident with the axis of oscillation of said steering knuckle; bearings for the respective ends of said vertically disposed shaft in said trunnions; an operative connect-ion between said vertically disposed shaft and said adjacent ends of said driving and driven shafts; heads fitted in and engaging against the outer ends of said trunnions; and a tie member extending through said vertically extending shaft and connected with said head members, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof T have signed my name to this specification in thc presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SCHNECKLOTH.

lWitnesses:

Hazen VVIGHTMAN, HENRY H. Crrnsmnn. 

